In the Wake of the Storm
by Satanira
Summary: Spike is dead. Ein left. Ed won't talk. The Bebop is falling down around Jet and Faye. Then Ed makes a surprising request and turns the place upside down! Chapter 4 is finally up! DISCONTINUED!
1. Beginning

Ed's been quiet for a while now. At first, after Spike died, she would spend most of the night crying. But for the last couple months, she hasn't made a peep. It's disconcerting, her wandering around like an orange-haired ghost. She creeps me out.  
In what I think will be a vain attempt to lighten her spirits, Jet and I are throwing her a birthday party. My latest boyfriend and a few people who've met Ed in the past are going to show up. Jet's positive it'll get her to talk again, if only to be polite. I hope it works. I like the little pain in the ass.  
  
Ed sighed heavily, looking out over the tossing waves rocking the Bebop like a giant cradle.  
Earth. she thought. Why Earth? Why did we come here? That had bothered her ever since she'd found out the ship was en route for the rundown mudball. She fell back, flinging her arms out as she connected softly with the quilt behind her.  
"Edward is confused." She whispered softly, rubbing her temple with the heel of her hand. "Edward is lost and confused and lonely."  
  
"Faye?" Jet asked, lightly touching Faye's shoulder.  
"Huh?" Faye snapped suddenly out of her trance, looking sharply over her shoulder. "Oh. You scared the shit out of me, Jet." She managed a shaky smile, laughing nervously.  
"Faye, it's time. Everyone's here. Go get her."  
"Okay." Faye turned, making her way through the group of teens from the orphanage Ed had stayed at. She opened the door to Ed's room slowly. "Ed? Ed, it's time for you to come out."  
A slight shuffling reached Faye as the door to Ed's room whooshed open.  
Still not talking. Faye thought, worried.  
  
The party dragged on through games, cake, and ice cream. When presents rolled around, a sparkle that Jet and Faye had missed terribly began to gleam dimly in the girl's eyes. She expressed enthusiasm for the new computer, the toys, and what few clothes there were with smiles, giggles, and happy gestures. But still, Ed refused to speak.  
Guests began to leave, as the sky got dark, either for home or their own ships. Finally, only Ed, Faye, Jet, and Faye's current boyfriend were left aboard the Bebop.  
Ed looked up from her pile of gifts at Faye and Dan. "Edward wants something else." She said quietly.  
Faye almost fell off her seat, she was so surprised. I guess Jet was right after all! She commented to herself, leaning forward. "And what might that be?" She asked.  
"Will you adopt me, Faye?" 


	2. Adoption

"A-adopt you?" Faye screamed from the floor. "What the hell do you mean, adopt you?"  
"I want you to be my mother, Faye." Ed said, staring unblinking at Faye. "You've always been my mother, and I'd like for it to be official. You can take back the computer, and all the stuffed animals, but I want you to adopt me."  
"What the hell are you laughing at?" Faye demanded of Jet, who was doing his best to sit quietly. "Well? Answer me!"  
"Nothing!" He managed to choke out before getting up and running to his room.  
"Men are such babies!" Faye exclaimed, turning back to Ed. "Have you thought this thing through all the way?"  
"Yes. I've been thinking about it since before. before. you know."  
"And you're sure?"  
"Very."  
Faye closed her eyes. All this was giving her a headache. "Keep your presents, Ed." She said finally, looking up at the expectant teen. "I'll adopt you."  
"Yay! Wahoo! Edward is getting a mother!" Ed whooped, hollered, and carried on like she hadn't since Spike had passed.  
"I'm not so sure this is a good idea." Jet whispered, looking up at the legal office.  
"Not really." Faye replied, making sure Ed couldn't hear them. "But I owe the kid. It's the least I can do for her." The dark-haired woman looked over her shoulder, watching Ed jump around like a circus monkey with three little kids. "Hey, Ed! It's time!"  
"Oh! Be right there, Faye-momma!" Ed turned back to her new friends. "Edward has to go now so she can have a mommy."  
The trio walked slowly up the steps and through the imposing doorway. That is to say, Faye and Jet walked. Ed leaped, backflipped, cartwheeled, and basically put on a one-person three-ring circus.  
The man behind the desk handed them a screen and directed them to a small waiting area. "Fill out these forms, sign and initial where indicated, and try to keep that child under control." He pointed behind them, where 'that child' was currently busy helping other kids take rides on the chandelier.  
"Edward Valentine!" Faye yelled, using her own last name. "You get down from there this instant young lady!" Author's Note- I know these chapters are short. I'll have to ask you not to kill me. Thanx muchly. I'm aware it's frustrating, but I'm not much of a writer, and I don't want you guys to wait too long between updates. If anyone has any ideas about what should happen next, feel free to tell me about them. I'm a little dry on inspiration right now. Till next time. 


	3. Family At Last

"Edward Valentine, you come back her this instant!" Faye yelled, chasing her new child down the narrow aisles of the store.  
"C'mon, Faye-momma!" Ed cheered, giggling and clutching Faye's purse tighter to her chest. "You can catch Ed! Yay!" In the three weeks since Faye had adopted her, the orange-haired teen had reverted back to the way she had been upon joining the Bebop crew.  
"I'm serious this time!" Faye shouted, stopping and pointing to the ground in front of her. "You! Here! Now!"  
Ed skidded to a halt, turning around in the process. "Does Edward half to, Faye-momma?" She asked, putting on her best innocent little girl face.  
"Yes."  
Ed reluctantly surrendered the purse, looking as sad as she could manage until Faye took her hand and led her to a computer store.  
"This year, you can pick out your present. Merry Christmas."  
"Does Faye-momma mean it?" Ed asked, her face lighting up. "Edward can pick her own present this year?" Not that Faye and Jet hadn't given her appropriate presents, like the hacking software, the games, or the new terminal info port, but Ed had never been able to pick out her own anything before, except clothes.  
"Of course, you silly goose." Faye said, freeing one hand to give her daughter a slight shove into the store. "Here. Feel free to max this card out." She continued, holding out a cash card while Jet just stood there staring.  
~Women. ~ He thought sourly, turning and wandering into a munitions store nearby. ~I'll never understand them. ~  
  
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Nothing seemed right. Everything was wrong. She couldn't remember. Her name, her home, her family and friends, it was all lost to her. She was only conscious of a wrenching feeling in her chest, and a pain in her left arm that had knocked her feet from under her. She couldn't see, couldn't hear, could barely move.  
~Faye. ~ She thought, forcing the words through the fog encasing her mind. ~My name is Faye. ~  
Those around the dark-haired woman swore later that she kept whispering a name, probably that of a husband or boyfriend. It had sounded something like 'Ed,' or 'Ned.'  
  
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Faye's eyes fluttered open, showing a stark, sterile white ceiling. A hospital ceiling. A flash of orange caught her eye, and she looked to her right to find Ed sitting there, crying softly.  
"W-whatcha. cryin' for, kiddo?" Faye asked weakly.  
"F-faye-momma?" Ed asked, quickly wiping her face.  
"The one and only."  
"Faye-momma, you're okay!"  
"Of course. I can't leave you on your own after going through all the trouble of adopting you." Faye said in as casual a manner as she could manage. "What happened, anyway?" She asked curiously, sliding into a position closer to sitting.  
"Faye-momma had a heart attack, the doctor said."  
"A heart attack? Are you sure?"  
"Yes, Ms. Spiegel." A doctor said, walking in. A warning look from Ed told Faye that the choice of name had not been a mistake. "In fact, it was a particularly serious one. It's a wonder you're even alive right now. You must be a very strong woman." He smiled, patting her shoulder. "In fact, you'll probably be out of here within a week, if nothing goes wrong."  
"So Faye-momma will be okay now?" Ed asked, assuming a bright-eyed, trusting expression.  
"Of course she will, Miss Edward."  
"Edward is so happy!" Ed exclaimed, throwing her arms around Faye, who hugged the teen back without any obvious hesitation. 


	4. A New Friend

Yay! Got that inspiration bonk on the head. Finally.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Ed hummed softly to herself, her concentration on the terminal in front of her. She stopped abruptly, pushing the comm. Button to Faye's phone.  
  
"He's on the move, Faye-momma." She warned, eyes still glued to the screen. "He's headed straight for you, and he's not paying attention to where he's going."  
  
"Good." Faye responded, a smile in her voice. "Time to turn up the old Valentine Charm. Thanks for the heads-up, kid."  
  
"No prob." Ed responded, releasing the button. "And... There!" She muttered, touching the screen lightly and moving her knight over two and forward one.  
  
-Good move, E.V.!- Flashed across the bottom of the screen, below the primitive 2-d chessboard.  
  
-Glad you think so. - Ed typed back as she waited for R.Y. to move. Down the right side of the screen was the window for Ed's newest hacking program, which was finding out just who this R.Y. was. In the top left hand corner was the window keeping track of Faye's target bounty head.  
  
R.Y. moved a rook into a tempting position, where either Ed's queen or remaining bishop could capture it. –Your turn.- R.Y. sent, with a smiley face at the end.  
  
Edward's response was to shift her kingside knight over one and back two, placing it in danger from R.Y.'s queen. Then the hacker program binged, having tracked R.Y.'s signal to its source.  
  
"Africa..." Ed muttered, looking at the info she'd gotten. "Only 10? That's less than Edward's age!"  
  
Another message flashed across the screen, catching Ed's attention. –YOU HACKED ME?- It demanded, almost indignantly. Edward's screen was suddenly covered by a live-feed webcam link, showing a very angry little boy with dark skin, flashing silver eyes, and dark golden hair.  
  
"YOU HACKED ME?" He demanded again. "How could you?"  
  
"How did you get on Edward's computer?" Edward asked, recoiling a little from the raging visage.  
  
"You're not the only one who's good with computers! How do you think I managed to access something as old as that chess group? And don't change the subject! Why did you hack me?"  
  
"Because... Because Edward wanted to know who R.Y. is." Ed said, her cheeks flushing.  
  
"Then you should have asked! I would have told you! I would have even opened video feed if you wanted!"  
  
"But..."  
  
"Well, thanks to the program I made, I know who you are now, so I guess we're even." The boy said, relaxing considerable. "My name's Ryan." The vidscreen downsized so that Ed's other programs were visible.  
  
"Edward's name is Edward!" Ed replied, smiling again. "Edward has a new friend! Wait till Faye-momma finds out!" 


End file.
